If there is anything to this article, I think the biggest carry gun is gonna win. Those wee little hideout pistols ain't gonna impress any bad guys.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defensive_gun_use

Carry BIG. At least an N frame or 1911. Win without a shot being fired

The link you posted doesn't talk about caliber size. It talks about a defensive use of a firearm in general.

The part I find interesting is the brandishing of a weapon. It has ended an incident once with me.

Yes, that is why "I" thought that bigger would be better. Not the caliber but the size of the gun.

I don't brandish, if there's sufficient reason for me to draw i'm going to be shooting as soon as it's aimed as long as the reason still exists. I'm less concerned about calibre than I am about placement.

Go with a silencer and they'll think you're a professional hit man and run for the hills.

how many people have you shot? When you pull out a gun the prep almost always high tails it out of there. If you draw and the bad guy starts running are you going to shoot him in the back? Don't want to get caught brandishing?

That's it, I'm carrying a blunderbuss from now on. Those things look SCARY

Ya'll see the 28mm 4 foot long revolver?

I think he, tehachapi, covered this pretty well.

Mr Scott, How many have you drawn down on or shot at?

In the event you are a LEO, you may PM me.

I always carry and brandish my concealed carry permit...if that does not scare the bad guy into poohing in his britches before running away in mortal fear... then I brandish my handy dandy 175mm howitzer, turns the trick every time.

The bad guy wees in his britches followed by poohing in said same britches and begins begging for mercy. I then take my rent a cop handcuffs and cuff him to a near by fixed object, advise him of the inalienable rights scumbag as he stands around in his own excrement, pat myself on the back, then I go get a beer.

Actually I am with tehachapi as well...assess the threat and bystanders in or around the line fire, hopefully make a sound decision if their is sufficient need/reason use deadly force to protect life, and then put the bloody bullet(s) where it/they need to be stop the threat without injuring anyone else. Anything else is in IMHO in the domain of the LEO.

I know there is a lot or arguments about the various calibers, and yes shot placement is primary, but a .38 with plus P ammo is the smallest I ever carry. EDC is a .40 cal with Hornady 165 gr. FTX or 38 special with Corbon +P 125 grain JHP.

and no I am using deadly force over property, mine or anyone else's...cuz 1) it is a gunfight and I or someone else beside the bad guy could get hurt or killed, 2) I do not the ensuing hassle in my life even if I had ever legal right to use deadly force.

I would love to see accurate statistics kept as to how many crimes are stopped through the defensive use or brandishing of a firearm.

It may help to promote second ammendment rights for all citizens of all states.

Used to be said, if you pull it out and don't use it, subject to be taken away from you and shoved where the sun don't shine.

Kurt Russel said something about pulling a smoke pole didn't he?

If you did carry a 2" S&W .500, sbooting at a bad guy at seven yard work have to be pretty unsettling to the bad guy, hit or miss. I don't think I have shot a louder pistol than the 2" .500. It would have to make an impression

Skin that smoke wagon!

if you draw your weapon to show how big it is, i think you have totally missed the point. the only reason it should be drawn in that kind of situation, is to defend your life with deadly force.

night eagle

I don't know if you have ever been in the situation where you did pull the trigger?? From personal experience I can tell you I would do a lot not be in that situation again. If it had not been for Sheriff Hugh Anderson (God bless his soul) taking a personal interest on my behalf I don't know that things would have worked out so well for me. The DA can really turn the way things were around. The Grand Jury no billed me despite the DA's best effort.